Wild hyacinth, Camassia scilloides

The east savanna trail leads from the ridgetop downhill to Brush Creek.  At a bluff overlooking the creek the trail turns 90 degrees and runs south to the creek bottom.  On this bluff Bill and I found a small population of wild hyacinth, Camassia scilloides, when we purchased Timberhill.  A native of open white oak woodlands Camassia, produces a loose cluster of pale blue flowers atop the leafless stem in late April and May.  The  stem grows from a basal cluster of long, narrow leaves.  After we thinned the oak woodland  and implemented prescribed fire the Camassia began spreading.  It jumped the trail into a south facing hillside then into the opposite north facing hillside.  Now the pale blue blossoms cover the hillsides on both sides of the trail each spring.

Camassia blooming in wooded hillside

Camassia bulbs were a staple food of many Native Americans.  Bulbs were collected after flowering and roasted between hot stones in earthen pits.  They revived the starving Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery party when they came off the Lolo Trail.  Supplied to the explorers by the Nez Perce one of the explorers described cooked Camassia quamash  bulbs as having “the appearance of baked pears, and are of an agreeable sweet taste.”   Cooking not only improves the texture and flavor of Camassia bulbs but it converts inulin, an indigestible sugar in the raw bulb to fructose.  The bulbs were also dried for winter use.

Two other very conservative plants grow in close proximity to the Camassia: yellow false foxglove, Aureolaria grandiflora, and false hellebore, Veratrum woodii.  And then there’s the dogbane, Apocynum cannabis.  An aggressive common native it has taken advantage of the sunny, open woodland and colonized part of this hillside. It spreads by horizontal roots that grow out from the initial taproot which may penetrate 8 feet deep.   Dogbane shoots  emerge after soil temperature reaches 65’ F. which is after Camassia has bloomed and set seed.  But it shades the understory throughout the summer, depriving more desirable summer blooming forbs of adequate sunlight.

Cover of invasive dogbane

Past experience has taught me that aggressive native plants such as dogbane are usually outcompeted when more conservative plants become established. It appears that this process has already begun;  bottlebrush grass, Hystrix patula,  and panic grass dominate the border of the dogbane patch.  Hopefully they will prevail, spread through the dogbane patch, and the dogbane will decline.

Interestingly dogbane was also an important plant for Native Americans.   Harvested after autumn leaf fall the stem fibers were used for cordage, thread, or rolled together into material for clothing.  Iowa’s Meskwaki Indians plaited the outer bast fiber into heavy cord and also used it as thread.  The fibers are currently used in artisan paper making.

References:  Moerman, Daniel E. 1998. Native American Ethnobotany. Portland: Timber Press

Earle, A.Scott & James L. Reveal. 2003, Lewis and Clark’s Green World. The Expedition and Its Plants. Helena: Far Country Press

Timberhill topographic map with arrow indicating nose slope

(Continuing the discussion of which plants constitute a Midwest oak savanna I am describing the Timberhill plant communities.  My aim is to demonstrate that there is no savanna archetype, that every site is unique.)

Following the deer trail east from columbine ridge (May 7, 2012 post) one descends the slope of a deep ravine.  Both sides of the ravine are blanketed with sedges and perennial forbs, such as maidenhair fern, wild geranium and Culver’s root.  The west facing hillslope is so steep one has to sidestep to ascend.  This is the face of a nose slope that juts north from the east savanna ridgetop.  It is so sharply defined that it sticks out like the nose on a face.

When we purchased it the bridge of the nose was a monotony of little blue stem. The previous owner used to haul firewood he had cut in the Timberhill woodlands down the spine of this ridge to his house across the creek.  He used a horse drawn wagon because the slope is so steep his tractor would go out of control.  He walked the nose slope with us in 2005 and commented how much softer the ground is than when we owned it.

Yellow pimpernel, Taenidia integerrima

Halfway up the west face of the slope the plant community begins to change with  yellow pimpernel dominating the understory. I noticed the first plant in 1998,  three years after we implemented prescribed fire on this site.  It  bloomed first in the sward of little blue stem on the bridge of the nose.  Then it moved downhill into the west facing slope under the canopy of white oaks.  Now it is becoming established in the wooded ridges south of the east savanna ridgetop.

That’s one of things I find most interesting about our restoration.  Plants first appear only in one site, gradually increasing until they become dominant.  They then spread to the surrounding ridges and decline somewhat in the original site. Finally, they find their balance as the plant community diversifies.

Indigo milky, Lactarius indigo

I have also collected some interesting mushrooms on this slope.  Indigo milky, Lactarius indigo, which is usually limited to oak and pine woodlands occasionally fruits in the little blue stem on the bridge of the nose.  A colorful waxy cap, Hygrocybe cantharellus also fruits here in summer.  (Small waxy caps, Hygrocybe, only fruit from soil that has neither been tilled or fertilized for at least 30 years.)

Walking east across the nose slope bridge the plant community changes again with leadplant dominating the east face.  I began to count the number of specimens but stopped when they numbered 20.  There are also several clumps of New Jersey tea on the east face.  Just north of the lead plants I was surprised to  find prairie alum root, Heuchera richarsonii.  And there was not a single specimen of yellow pimpernel which is so dominant the west face.

We had an escape last year; the prescribed burn in our West Creek unit escaped into adjoining property.  West Creek burns are always tough because there is so much fuel. Management has  stimulated bunch grasses and sedges throughout this unit, particularly since we took out the red cedar, shingle oaks and honey locust trees.  Sand Creek serves as a fire break to the east but prairie and open woodland border the other directions. Last year the fire escaped into a prairie to the west. Our experienced crew quickly got it under control, but Bill decided we needed to upgrade our equipment.  We have a 15 gallon water tank with sprayer for the ATV and a 25 gallon spray tank for the Ranger utility vehicle, but Bill decided we needed an all-in-one slide in sprayer unit.

Wildland Slide-in Unit

He researched units until he found the perfect one to meet our needs.  Features of the Wildland slide-in unit he purchased include:

Size that fits our Ranger utility vehicle

At 250 pounds, it’s light enough for two men to slide it into the Ranger bed.

Baffles in the 50 gallon L-shaped polypropylene to prevents water from shifting on steep slopes.  Furthermore, the tank is low enough that it doesn’t interfere with vision and the low center of gravity minimizes tip-over risk.

A detachable pump and engine to obtain water from a remote source

A 100 foot-long kink and abrasion resistant hose that mounts on top of the tank out of the operator’s line of vision. At 18 pounds it’s much lighter than a rubber hose.  The hose connects to foam applicator;  the foam surfacant lowers the water’s surface tension, allowing it to spread and penetrate more easily.

Removable cargo tray for extra gas and tools.

All we need now is cooperation from the weather.

When I tell people that I’m collecting mushrooms in summer or fall, they usually reply, “I didn’t know that you could find morels at this time of year.”  The only wild mushrooms most people harvest is the morel which fruits in late April and early May in Decatur County. They are missing many other edible mushrooms that fruit throughout the growing season from late May until hard fall frost. Not only are many of them delicious, but some have been used for thousands of years in herbal medicine.  They are reputed to help treat numerous ailments. Studies have proven some of these benefits, but there is still much speculation about how effective they are.

Oyster mushrooms fruiting from downed hickory

Oyster mushrooms, Pleurotus ostreatus, fruit in overlapping shelves on dead elm and hickory throughout the growing season.  A choice edible this white or grayish brown medium-sized mushroom, has soft gills that run down the short stem. Besides being a choice edible it contains the statin lovastin. A number of animal studies have shown that eating oyster mushrooms can lower cholesterol. Research has also shown that this species helps fight various cancers. To cook, sauté the mushrooms with garlic in butter and olive oil, and toss with pasta and parsley.  They can also be substituted for cultivated mushrooms in many recipes.

Hen of the Woods, Grifola frondosa

Hen of the Woods, Grifola frondosa, grows in clusters from the base of oak trees in the fall. A perennial, it often grows in the same place year after year.  This soft, fleshy polypore is composed of individual overlapping fruiting branches that constitute a large fruiting body, as much as 60 cm across. Also known as maitake, it is prized in traditional Chinese and Japanese herbology. Not only does it enhance the immune system, but it has also been shown to inhibit growth of cancer cells, regulate insulin and blood pressure, and lower cholesterol.

Reishi mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum

Reishi mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum, reputed to be the mushroom of immortality, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over 2000 years. The varnished red, kidney-shaped cap of this corky polypore has white pores underneath. I find it fruiting from the same downed silver maple year after year. The most highly prized of the medicinal fungi, reishi, is used as a tonic to support general wellness and vitality. It is also reputed to inhibit the growth of malignant tumors, treat liver diseases, treat viral diseases, lower blood pressure, and help regulate cholesterol.  It’s bitter taste and corky texture do not make it suitable for eating.  Instead, it is prepared as hot water extract: soak overnight in water to soften the flesh, then cut into thin slices and simmer in boiling water, covered for two hours. Sweeten and drink as a tea.

When collecting fungi for consumption it is important to make sure of the identity of each species.  Some mushrooms are highly poisonous. To learn more about collecting fungi attend a foray of your local mushroom club. (listing is available at the NAMA website)

Many other fungi commonly found in the Iowa woodlands have a wide spectrum of beneficial properties. You may find a complete listing in Medicinal Mushrooms by Christopher Hobbs. (Botanica Press, Summertown, Tennessee. 1986)

My mother didn’t believe in modern pharmacology. She believed in herbal medicine:  instead of Alka Selzer she dispensed peppermint tea, marshmallow root instead of cough syrup and chamomile tea for sleeplessness and to soak infected wounds.  She even had an illustrated folio of medicinal plants that she had brought with her when my family left Germany.  Under each drawing were listed the specifics of each plant: Volksnamen (common names) Blütezeit (when it blooms), Verkommen (where found), Verwendung (which part of the plant to use and what for), Sammelzeit (when to collect the plant material)

Page from German herbal

When Bill and I married I was happy to substitute real medicine for Mother’s herbal cures.  It was Bill who brought me back full circle.  As a dentist he taught his patients the importance of preventive care and personal responsibility for their dental health.  The primary dental disease is not tooth decay, but periodontitis.  And periodontal disease can only be controlled by healthy habits and good oral hygiene.  Preventive care and a person’s responsibility for his own health extended into our home.  We looked for ways to prevent getting sick.

After we moved to the farm I naturalized purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) in the vegetable garden. In 1997 I read a New York Times “Cuttings” article by Anne Raver which detailed how to extract the antibiotic qualities from Echinacea as a tonic for feeling run down or a cold coming on.  I thought, “Why not?” The recipe is very simple:  dig up a three year old plant, cut off the roots, scrub them well, and cut them into small pieces.  Then soak them in vodka (cheap is fine) for 1-2 weeks to extract the antibiotic properties, and strain into a clean, stoppered bottle. It doesn’t taste very good so we keep it in the freezer.  It’s more palatable when really cold.

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

My family calls this concoction the magic potion because it really does work. Our son, Alex, recently gave some to a friend. She took a spoonful after waking up with a sore throat. The next day, when she was still feeling under the weather, she took another spoonful.  The third day she was perfectly healthy.  Then she called Alex.  “Is your mother a witch?” she asked him. “You’ve told me it’s just Echinacea but I think it’s magic. ”